Middle school career exploration, one unit four, lesson 10
In unit four, lesson 10 of the middle school career exploration curriculum, students will focus on the topic of "Entrepreneurship and Small Business."
Objectives:
1. Understand the concept of entrepreneurship and its role in the economy.
2. Identify the characteristics and skills needed to become a successful entrepreneur.
3. Explore different types of small businesses and their impact on local communities.
4. Develop a basic understanding of business plans and their importance in starting a small business.
Activities:
1. Introduction: Start the lesson by discussing famous entrepreneurs and their contributions to society. Ask students to share any entrepreneurs they admire or know about.
2. What is entrepreneurship? Provide a definition of entrepreneurship and discuss its importance in driving innovation, economic growth, and job creation.
3. Characteristics of successful entrepreneurs: Engage in a class discussion about the personal attributes, skills, and mindset that successful entrepreneurs possess. Ask students to brainstorm and share their ideas.
4. Case Studies: Assign small groups of students to research and present case studies on successful entrepreneurs. The presentation should include information about their background, challenges faced, and key lessons learned.
5. Small business impact: Discuss the impact of small businesses on local communities and economies. Ask students to research local small businesses and their contributions to the community, such as job creation, providing goods and services, and supporting local events.
6. Business plans: Introduce the concept of business plans and explain why they are essential for starting and running a small business. Provide examples of different sections that make up a business plan, such as executive summary, market analysis, marketing plan, and financial projections.
7. Business plan activity: Divide students into small groups and assign them a fictional small business idea. Ask each group to develop a simple business plan for their idea, including information about target audience, competition, marketing strategies, and estimated costs and revenues.
8. Presentations: Allow each group to present their business plans to the class. Encourage questions and discussions about each plan.
Assessment:
- Monitor students' participation in class discussions and group activities.
- Evaluate the quality of the case study presentations, focusing on the key takeaways and lessons learned.
- Assess the completeness and quality of the business plans created by each group.